Error with WinXP and copy/paste

[Senff]

This is an interesting little error on Windows XP on a Toshiba TE2000 laptop computer. The problem is that it randomly switches to some kind of "mode" where when we try to copy/paste, we select what we wish to copy, and then hit ctrl+c (or go to Edit - Copy), and then we paste. When we paste, though, it automatically pastes a screen shot, instead of what we selected and copied. We've completely updated it at windowsupdate.com, and the error also happens in other programs. For example, we cannot copy anything at all from a website. Is this something new, or is it something I just couldn't find on the web? Thank you for your help.

Kyle

[BipolarBill]

You haven't said whether you've scanned for viruses and spyware with updated programs or not. Try these:

http://www.sunbelt-software.com/CounterSpy.cfm

http://www.free-av.com/

[Senff]

Oh yes, we certainly did try. There are no viruses or spyware. The computer is, for all intents and purposes, completely new. It was reformatted before installing WinXP, then we downloaded the driver updates for the graphics and WiFi networking and that's about it.

[BipolarBill]

Has some sort of screen capture program been installed? What happens when you paste into a text program like Wordpad or Notepad?

[Senff]

No, nothing has been installed other than Win XP, the drivers, Symantec Antivirus, and Spybot. When we try to paste into Wordpad or Notepad with the error, nothing happens at all. No pasting, nothing.

Update: I just found out that in Wordpad, in the Edit menu, the paste option isn't even available. This was news to me, but is very interesting.

[BipolarBill]

It won't be available if the clipboard holds an image.

I'm officially stumped.

[steves]

It won't be available if the clipboard holds an image.

Bill - I just cut and pasted your avatar into Wordpad - paste was definately available - were you thinking of notepad?

Senff - Couple of slightly odd thoughts. Is the locale set correctly? i.e. to match keyboard. And where is the print screen key on a TE2000? It's not doubled up with some other key that could result in accidental print screens. And/or perhaps a key jam.

[Senff]

I'm not sure what you mean by the locale set correctly. As for a key jam, I do not believe it's that, even though we get a lot of random beeps at us at times. I think that is something to do with the mouse, but that's another story altogether. What do you mean by the locale being set?

[steves]

Control Panel -> Regional and Language Options

Regional Options, Languages -> Details and Advanced tabs

should all be set appropriately - English (United Kingdom) - in my case

I expect they will be, it is a bit of a long shot.


If you suspect mouse (or keyboard) it might be time to try external mouse/keyboards and disable the laptop one (only once you are sure the external one's work - of course!!!).

[Senff]

The regional setting was correct. This one is a real stumper, huh? I found out that the print screen button works regardless of whether or not we are getting the aforementioned error. Dunno if that's even relevant, but it seems like it might be. Maybe I could cross-post this to see if anyone anywhere else knows, or something?

[steves]

[QUOTE=Senff]...the print screen button works regardless of whether or not we are getting the aforementioned error...QUOTE]

So it's intermittent? Original post implied it happened all the time.

[Senff]

No. It said it randomly switches to the mode; hence it's not all the time.

[sopainful]

This is an interesting little error on Windows XP on a Toshiba TE2000 laptop computer. The problem is that it randomly switches to some kind of "mode" where when we try to copy/paste, we select what we wish to copy, and then hit ctrl+c (or go to Edit - Copy), and then we paste. When we paste, though, it automatically pastes a screen shot, instead of what we selected and copied. We've completely updated it at windowsupdate.com, and the error also happens in other programs. For example, we cannot copy anything at all from a website. Is this something new, or is it something I just couldn't find on the web? Thank you for your help.

Kyle


Hi Kyle

I have had the exact same problem for a few months. Have you had any luck getting it resolved.

[sopainful]

Oh the only noticable difference is that I'm using a HP omni book xt6200 with a wireless keyboard & mouse. The problem occurs regardless of which keyboard & mouse I use.

[Senff]

We have been unable to resolve this problem. Does anyone have any other suggestions at all? We've tried looking at:

IRQ conflicts (should theoretically be high because a bunch of things are on channel 11, but I don't think it's the problem. How do we change the channel, so to speak, if you think it is the problem?)

Regional settings (nothing is wrong with them)

Updated BIOS, which actually did solve some of our problems (random and persistent beeping for no reason, not bringing windows to front when opened, but rather placing them behind all other windows already open, etc)


Memtest86 check, no problems at all.


So, now anyone have any ideas?

[Senff]

I take it back. The bios update did NOT fix our beeping, nor the not bringing windows to the front problem. Does anyone know how to fix those?

Kyle

We have been unable to resolve this problem. Does anyone have any other suggestions at all? We've tried looking at:

IRQ conflicts (should theoretically be high because a bunch of things are on channel 11, but I don't think it's the problem. How do we change the channel, so to speak, if you think it is the problem?)

Regional settings (nothing is wrong with them)

Updated BIOS, which actually did solve some of our problems (random and persistent beeping for no reason, not bringing windows to front when opened, but rather placing them behind all other windows already open, etc)


Memtest86 check, no problems at all.


So, now anyone have any ideas?

[Strawbs]

Did you consider that this might be a DRM (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_rights_management) issue? :cool:

you say you get an "error"! is that a dialogue box (post a screenshot) or just a failure to work?

[Senff]

Sorry I cross-posted, but no one was able to answer it here and I thought someone on another forum might!

No error dialogue box, as it doesn't cause a problem with the system. It's just a problem with the paste function not pasting what we told it to paste.

I can't imagine that it's a DRM issue. We're just trying to paste text copied from one of our own files (say a story we've written), and instead of pasting the text, it pastes a screen shot of the entire screen.

Update for this forum: We reformatted and reinstalled everything, and we still have the problem.

Question for the forum: Do you think it's even likely that a registered Toshiba tech. rep. would be able to solve this problem? Or do you think we're looking at some kind of Windows clipboard error?

Kyle

[Strawbs]

Is it possible that the key combination for copy\paste is switching something in the Toshiba software on\off?

you might try using something like Print Screen 2000 (http://www.freedownloadscenter.com/Utilities/Music_Utilities/Print_Screen_2000.html) to check your "print screen" shortcut keys are not conflicting with your "copy\paste" shortcut keys! You can use it to configure the key combinations for print screen manually - hopefully freeing up the copy\paste key combo.

:confused:

[Senff]

Hmm, I have no idea, and no access to the computer at present. However, I will download a key combination program and check it. Print Screen 2000, unfortunately, appears to not work because the site is down. I couldn't get it to download, anyway. Thanks for the advice, and will check as soon as possible.

Kyle

[Senff]

After so many, many, many months of trying, I have finally figured out what was wrong with the computer. At first, I was going to replace the keyboard and hope that that solved it. But I went to the Toshiba website to look for their manual to see how to remove the keyboard, and found one other possibility. By pressing the FN + F10 and FN + F11 keys, I was able to disable any and all keyboard overlays present. It turns out that this solved the problem. We no longer get random beeping, either, and everything seems to be working perfectly. Thanks to everyone who made suggestions, and no thanks to Toshiba who would cost us hundreds of dollars just to get help over the phone, which would be pointless!

We bought this computer off of eBay from a computer refurbisher. How does one become a refurbisher? Or, more importantly, how can I become a tech guy for some company so I can fix these "simple" errors so that the computers need not be refurbished?